so I went out and decided to search and see if I could get more, but I have NO idea where to get some,

1) You can get a serviceable set of armor by learning the areas in 'help newbie2'. I recommend reading each area's helpfile paragraph, then touring them and seeing what you can come up with- probably starting with Aldevari.

2) Now, when you find items, you'll need to do a little testing in a lot of cases. One easy trick is checking 'score', wearing the item, then re-checking 'score'. You might notice an ability score or saving throw jumping a category, the ability to carry more items (this means your DEX is higher), or the ability to carry more weight (this means your STR is higher).
You might also notice your hp, mana, or movement changing. Even though you only see a percentage at low levels, you can still figure out if an item is helping you. Let's say you "really" have 100 total hp, and currently have 80 (you've been fighting to get this gear). You see 80%. Now, you might wear an item and see your health change to 67%. Even though it's a lower number, it's good- your current hit points haven't changed, and it means the item is worth a hefty +20 hp (80 current/120 maximum).
Armor class is still somewhat useful at low levels, but will fade in importance as you advance more. I basically use it as a "tiebreaker" between two items- if I can't otherwise tell the difference, I'll use "compare" and take the one with the better AC. If I have the Dodge skill, however, I'll generally take the lighter one.
Take some notes, and jot down where you find your preferred objects. This way, if you're killed, you can quickly gather them again. With practice, you can have a half-decent full suit of armor in roughly 10 or 15 minutes.

3) Find a weapon you like that you can get for yourself and test it. Use "compare" to check its average damage against what you are using. Also, fight with it, and see if it's working better. Once you're pretty sure you have something decent and you know how to get it, re-equipping will be fast and easy. It's probably worth getting two of your preferred weapon- you might lose one to the disarm skill and not be able to get it back in time, and it's nice to just be able to wield a new one until you can get a new backup. If you're always looking for handouts or loots, there will be times when you're stuck with a subpar weapon, and combat will be slower for you.

4) Read "help tips" once every login until you are able to defend yourself from other PCs with some regularity.

5) Expect to die a lot. Carrion Fields is a difficult game- there's a great deal of strategic depth which keeps the game appealing to veterans. Some of your peers may have been here for 9 years, and you won't be able to whoop on them too soon. Just make sure you learn from every time you died, even if the lesson is "Character X is really tough. Keep a close eye for him and run if he's coming." If you have a client ('help client'), log your sessions when you're new- this way you can look back over key points, esspecially where you died.


valguarnera@carrionfields.com